Tangled [Hardcover]

Carolyn Mackler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 29, 2009

Paradise wasn't supposed to suck.

Not the state of being, but a resort in the Caribbean.

Jena, Dakota, Skye, and Owen are all there for different reasons, but at Paradise their lives become tangled together in ways none of them can predict. Paradise will change them all.

It will change Jena, whose first brush with romance takes her that much closer to having a life, and not just reading about those infinitely cooler and more exciting.

It will change Dakota, who needs the devastating truth about his past to make him realize that he doesn't have to be a jerk just because people think he's one.

It will change Skye, a heartbreakingly beautiful actress, who must come to terms with the fact that for once she has to stop playing a role or face the consequences.

And it will change Owen, who has never risked anything before and who will take the leap from his online life to a real one all because of a girl he met at Paradise. . . .

From confused to confident and back again, one thing's certain: Four months after it all begins, none of them will ever be the same.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8 Up—Four teenagers, Jena, Skye, Owen, and Dakota, come together and cross paths during a vacation in the Caribbean. A quarter of the book is devoted to each teen's perspective. Jena tells about her feelings of inferiority when around beautiful Skye, the daughter of her mother's best friend. Skye wants to figure out the truth about her father and the suicidal depression that turns her away from auditioning for even one more film. Dakota drinks, is sexually pushy with girls, and deals with his girlfriend's death in a car accident when she was with another guy. Owen, Dakota's younger brother, hides his insecurity behind the safety of his blog and general computer nerdiness. All four lives become "tangled" together while at the resort and after they reach home, and the way the tangles twist and unfold allows these teens to discover their true selves and find personal satisfaction. Mackler expertly creates believable characters, plots, and settings. The teens are good people who have obstacles to overcome and problems to face. Whether realizing it directly or not, they help one another because of their chance relationships. As powerfully depicted as in Emily Wing Smith's The Way He Lived (Flux, 2008), the various viewpoints weave together to create a compelling and cohesive whole. Themes of understanding, respecting others, and the power of good communication are carefully and effectively woven throughout a story that begs for discussion.—Diane P. Tuccillo, Poudre River Public Library District, Fort Collins, CO
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Mackler, whose previous titles include the Printz Honor Book The Earth, My Butt, and Other Round Things (2003), introduces another cast of memorable, authentic young characters in her latest heartfelt novel. Four teens share the narration of the cleverly constructed story, which begins at a five-star Caribbean resort, where two mothers have thrown together their very different teen daughters. Jena, a Westchester County high-schooler, is her own worst critic. She worries about her weight, powders her zits until her face resembles “a funnel cake,” and marvels at her companion, Skye, a gorgeous, wealthy young actress in Manhattan. Jena spots lanky computer geek Owen, but she ends up fooling around with his brother, Dakota, a beer-swilling jock who dumps her when Skye shows interest. The often-hilarious story, which takes place over a four-month period, builds in poignant layers as each character narrates in a fresh, frank voice that defies stereotype. Although the teens’ tech-heavy communication is utterly contemporary, their insecurities, desires, and questions about family, self-worth, and first love are timeless. Grades 9-12. --Gillian Engberg

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen; 1 edition (December 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061731048
• ISBN-13: 978-0061731044
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #581,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Carolyn Mackler began telling stories when she was four, by speaking into a tape recorder or having her mom write the words while she drew the pictures. Now she uses a computer, and she doesn't attempt to illustrate anything. She's written six novels for teenagers. Her most recent novel, THE FUTURE OF US, was co-authored with Jay Asher. It has just been optioned by Warner Brothers for a major motion picture.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Read., September 12, 2010

By 

Erica - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tangled (Hardcover)

Tangled is about four different characters - Jena, Dakota, Skye, and Owen - and their stories. I loved how Carolyn Mackler split this up! She started with Jena's story, then went on the Dakota's, but the stories were constantly intertwined with each other and each story picked up at the time the last ended. I loved it! Though I would've liked to see a bit more fluidity between stories.

I really liked Jena as a character. I felt Carolyn Mackler really captured what it's like to be a teenage girl in Jena. She wasn't overdone or perfect, she had her own issues. I had a bit of an issue with Dakota as a character. The language he used just wasn't believable, and it was almost a bit offensive to me. Plus almost every word out of his mouth was something sexual. Skye was the typical upper New York character you get in most books. Owen was deeping, and while you don't see a lot of him, when you do those scenes stick out the most.

When I was reading Tangled at first with Jena's story I wasn't sure what I would think. Jena's story was interesting, but it didn't go much of anywhere. Dakota's story was nice as it started to display another of Dakota besides the Dakota who cusses and sexual phrases all the time. It started to give him more depth, and I started to appreciate him more as a character. Skye's story was probably my favorite of the four stories. The story is set up so up until her story, you think she's just a shallow, spoiled rich girl. Skye's story sets up an interesting story, filled with all the layers of her life. Owen's story wraps of Tangled, and it was the strongest story of the four. It was sweet and enjoyable.

I loved how the title and cover both play into the plot. The cover is "tangled" and tangled is the perfect description for the characters's lives and how they intertwine with each other. Tangled was fairly predictable, I called a lot of the shots in the first story, and they held true through the last three. Overall, it's a quick enjoyable read!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Raw and Real., March 22, 2010

By 

Jennifer Sanchez "GiN" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tangled (Kindle Edition)

I really enjoyed this book. I normally hate books that are told from numerous peoples perspective, but this book really tied everything together. At first I was confused because the first part ended so suddenly and I found myself wondering about Jena, and what happened, but the book moves along and ties everyones story together. Jena through Dakata through Skye through Owen. It keep me wondering and reading. It was more raw then other teen books and had more emotional involved. I really enjoyed reading it, and will keep it around in case I want to read it again someday.

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book., January 6, 2012

By 

Saucy - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tangled (Kindle Edition)

Overall, I thought Tangled was a pretty good book. I would suggest not giving up on it when you read Jena and Dakota's parts you may not think it's worth finishing because they were not very good. Skye's part was a little bit better because there was actually some deep meaning to what was going on with her, while I thought Dakota's part was all swears and idiocy.
Something that I didn't like about Tangled was that for teens that are reading it, it might give them the impression that it is a cool and totally normal thing for teens to be having sex all the time. This is not true. I personally don't understand why Carolyn Mackler would want to put that kind of stuff in.
I think that the book definetly got better at Skye and Owen's part so keep reading!

:)